Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Sid, Superman Is Dead (Box Set)”?
Artist Statement
To commemorate the opening of SID, Superman Is Dead, Dennis Morris and Shepard Fairey have collaborated to release a limited edition box set of 10 Letterpress images of Sid Vicious. The 10 print images are Shepard’s illustrations based on Dennis’s photography. The editions are printed on high quality 100% cotton rag paper with deckled edges and the box is hand made and foil embossed with a leather-like texture inspired by the leather jacket Sid famously wore. The box set will be released this Friday, Dec 13th at Subliminal Projects at 6pm. SID, Superman Is Dead Box Set Numbered Edition of 200 15.5 x 20 x 1.5 inches 2013 $1000 10 Letterpress Prints 2 Color 100% Cotton Rag Paper Edition of 200 Signed and Numbered by Dennis Morris and Shepard Fairey 14.5 x 19 inches 2013
Summary
Sid, Superman Is Dead is a 2013 limited-edition box set created by Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris to commemorate the opening of the SID, Superman Is Dead exhibition. The set contains 10 two-color letterpress prints of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, with Fairey's illustrations based on Morris's photography. The prints are on 100% cotton rag paper with deckled edges, measuring 14.5 x 19 inches, and are signed and numbered by both Morris and Fairey. They are housed in a handmade, foil-embossed box with a leather-like texture inspired by Sid's famous leather jacket. The box measures 15.5 x 20 x 1.5 inches, in a numbered edition of 200, priced at $1,000. Released December 13, 2013 via Subliminal Projects.
Why It Matters
This box set is a substantial collaborative tribute to a punk icon, pairing Fairey with Dennis Morris, the photographer who documented Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols. By translating Morris's photographs into 10 two-color letterpress portraits, Fairey extends his music portraiture into a portfolio format that rewards both the music fan and the print collector. The presentation elevates it well beyond a single print: a handmade box, foil-embossed with a leather-like texture explicitly inspired by Sid's famous leather jacket, turns the packaging itself into part of the artwork and a piece of punk iconography. Letterpress on 100% cotton rag paper with deckled edges and dual signing by both artists signal a craft-forward, gallery-grade object. Tied to the SID, Superman Is Dead exhibition at Subliminal Projects, it documents Fairey's gallery program and his deep engagement with punk history. For collectors, the 10-print portfolio, the edition of 200, and the $1,000 release price place it among the more premium and complete music-themed sets in his catalog, offering depth and a strong narrative around a single legendary subject.
Collector Perspective
This set targets serious punk-music collectors, Sex Pistols and Sid Vicious devotees, Dennis Morris photography fans, and Fairey collectors who favor complete portfolio box sets over single prints. The 10 letterpress portraits, the dual signatures, and the handmade leather-textured embossed box make it a presentation-rich, higher-tier acquisition with strong display and curation appeal. At an edition of 200 and a $1,000 original price it sits at the premium end, offering a cohesive narrative around one iconic subject rather than a one-off image. It fits a music-series or box-set grouping and pairs with Fairey's other portfolio sets and punk-themed collaborations, appealing to collectors who value depth and craftsmanship.
Historical Context
Sid, Superman Is Dead was released through Subliminal Projects, Fairey's Los Angeles gallery, to commemorate the SID, Superman Is Dead exhibition, situating it within his gallery program as well as his music portraiture. Created with Dennis Morris, a photographer closely associated with documenting Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols, it continues Fairey's method of illustrating from a collaborator's photographs and his recurring tributes to foundational punk figures. The letterpress portfolio format and elaborate handmade box reflect the craft-forward, premium side of his 2013 output. As a 10-print box set devoted to a single punk icon, it stands among his more ambitious music-themed editions of the period and documents his ongoing engagement with the visual legacy of punk.
FAQ
What is included in this box set?
The box set contains 10 two-color letterpress prints of Sid Vicious, with Fairey's illustrations based on Dennis Morris's photography. The prints are on 100% cotton rag paper with deckled edges, measure 14.5 x 19 inches, and are signed and numbered by both Dennis Morris and Shepard Fairey.
What is special about the box itself?
The box is handmade and foil embossed with a leather-like texture inspired by the leather jacket Sid Vicious famously wore, making the packaging part of the artwork. The full box measures 15.5 x 20 x 1.5 inches.
What is the edition size and price?
It is a numbered edition of 200, priced at $1,000. It was released on December 13, 2013 at Subliminal Projects to commemorate the opening of the SID, Superman Is Dead exhibition.
Who collaborated on this set?
It is a collaboration between Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris. Fairey created illustrations of Sid Vicious based on Morris's photography, and both artists signed and numbered the prints.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.